Bipartisan Spirit Takes Backseat at Hagel Vote

Feb 12, 2013 7:35 pm ET

The Senate Armed Services Committee and its frequently lauded spirit of bipartisanship had a rough day.

A meeting to vote on Chuck Hagel’s nomination for defense secretary devolved into a series of tense exchanges between Republican and Democratic members – the kind of partisan fighting committee members say they’d rather avoid.

“I’m often asked, what’s happened to the committee? Nothing. We just disagree on occasion,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Tuesday.

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.